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Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Another issue with the pace of play is coaches giving signals on every stinking pitch while at bat. If the number 4 hitter is up with the bases loaded and 2 outs everyone in America knows she is not bunting or doing anything other than trying to put the ball in the grass. We do not need you giving her the green light call every pitch.

I admit we have ran a squeeze in that situation but the hitter knew she was doing it on the second pitch before she went to the plate as long as the defense was at normal depth. No signals needed.

THANK YOU! My DD picked up recently with a team that uses these. When she's in the 3-hole with runners on, everyone on the field knows what she's trying to do. Anything unusual needs to be talked about prior to the on-deck circle. As a batter, I'd find these really distracting having to look at it every pitch AND having it strapped to my arm.

I saw a really funny mistake with these a few weeks ago. I was watching a former player of mine bat, and she's a bigger girl who can hit the ball pretty hard. With no runners on, he was calling out numbers, and she was dutifully referencing her wristband. I remember thinking..."WTF...what is he telling her other than 'swing away'...surely he can't be telling her to bunt". Sure enough, she lays down a perfect bunt down the 3B line. Unfortunately, she isn't fast...at all...really not even average speed-wise, and is thrown out. As it turned out, she read the wrong line on the card.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
THANK YOU! My DD picked up recently with a team that uses these. When she's in the 3-hole with runners on, everyone on the field knows what she's trying to do. Anything unusual needs to be talked about prior to the on-deck circle. As a batter, I'd find these really distracting having to look at it every pitch AND having it strapped to my arm.

I saw a really funny mistake with these a few weeks ago. I was watching a former player of mine bat, and she's a bigger girl who can hit the ball pretty hard. With no runners on, he was calling out numbers, and she was dutifully referencing her wristband. I remember thinking..."WTF...what is he telling her other than 'swing away'...surely he can't be telling her to bunt". Sure enough, she lays down a perfect bunt down the 3B line. Unfortunately, she isn't fast...at all...really not even average speed-wise, and is thrown out. As it turned out, she read the wrong line on the card.

Reading the card wrong or having the wrong card in place or forgetting the indicator are all issues we've run into with our first year 12U team. They catch on pretty quickly but there are still the mistakes, not paying attention, etc.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
The game is evolving. Keep up or get left behind.

Arm bands, fielders masks, long ball, there is no such thing as a softball swing, power slappers, slo-mo proving IR mechanics, spray charts, elbow guards, 'station' based practices, high level throwing, more games than I can watch on TV, pitching depth, PGF, USSSA, etc, etc...
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Another issue with the pace of play is coaches giving signals on every stinking pitch while at bat. If the number 4 hitter is up with the bases loaded and 2 outs everyone in America knows she is not bunting or doing anything other than trying to put the ball in the grass. We do not need you giving her the green light call every pitch.

I admit we have ran a squeeze in that situation but the hitter knew she was doing it on the second pitch before she went to the plate as long as the defense was at normal depth. No signals needed.

I disagree, there should be a number or sign on every pitch. You don't want to sign or signal for an action only when you need it (bunt, hit and run, steal, etc.).

If you set up your wristbands correctly there will be certain patterns (last digit is a 2 or a 4 for example) which are dummy signals (they don't mean anything). The girls are so smart they know immediately that the sign is a dummy signal but they give the wristband a quick glance anyways and off they go. It takes two seconds.
 
Dec 20, 2012
34
8
Texas
I disagree, there should be a number or sign on every pitch. You don't want to sign or signal for an action only when you need it (bunt, hit and run, steal, etc.).

If you set up your wristbands correctly there will be certain patterns (last digit is a 2 or a 4 for example) which are dummy signals (they don't mean anything). The girls are so smart they know immediately that the sign is a dummy signal but they give the wristband a quick glance anyways and off they go. It takes two seconds.

We have both. We put dummy signals on the card, you can either leave them blank or write "nothing" meaning nothing is on, so that is your dummy signal. Our numbers that mean something are 0-5, so they know anytime a 6-9 is used, its a dummy call as well.

The coaches that are slowing the game down with the wrist bands are the same coaches that would be slowing the game down giving old school signals. It's the coach, not the tool being used.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
Depends if you appreciate easy over intelligence. Could have the same effect as allowing calculators in the classroom instead of teaching simple mathematical applications.

I don't see how intelligence comes into play here. Or how it makes a player a better or smarter player to watch a coach touch his nose and grab his crotch for 30 seconds instead of watching him sign "1, 2, 3."

Like I said, I'm only talking about offense here. Giving a quick three number sequence takes, literally, no more than 2 seconds. And it's really impossible to mess up (unless you're an idiot like me and you hold up the wrong number of fingers).
 
Jan 30, 2018
252
0
SE Michigan
Our 11u team uses them, move along as fast or faster than coach giving signals. We do play teams that take forever with the bands but that is on the coach, he sucks at it and I think he is more confused than the girls. They are a decent team but we hate playing them waiting for him to figure it out. We also have take signs and dummy calls on our cards. Our girls have no problem with these.
 

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